There are two ways to ruin our relationship with the Giver of all things. The first is to ignore him and focus entirely on his gifts…. The second way is to ignore the gift and focus entirely on the Giver…. If the first temptation ignores the God who gives, the second refuses to let him be the God who gives.
– Michael Wittmer in Becoming Worldly Saints
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
How Do You Know You’re Repentant? – Jared Wilson
We name our sin as sin and do not spin it or excuse it, and further, we demonstrate “godly sorrow,” which is to say, a grief chiefly about the sin itself, not just a grief about being caught or having to deal with the consequences of sin.
3 Reasons Why You Aren’t Allowed To Be Theologically Dumb – Chris Martin (ME)
When you love God with your heart but not your mind, you end up loving the god of your imagination, not the God of the universe.
Theological Black Holes – Tim Challies
And this is one of the reasons God places us in church communities where we are surrounded by people who are that much wiser and that much more mature than we are.
Making the Most of Sunday – Joe Thorn (TCC)
As we look forward to what God will do among us as we gather let’s remember that there are three ways to get the most out of your Sundays with the church: prepare, participate, and reflect….
Hope you make the most of the Lord’s Day this week as you gather with your local church!
Some wag remarked that the worst dust storm in history would happen if all church members who were neglecting their Bibles dusted them off simultaneously.
– Donald Whitney
in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
Prayer is always an act of faith.
It begins with faith, must be carried through in faith, and finished in faith. Every ordinary prayer prayed in the most ordinary way
by the most ordinary person is a revolutionary statement of trust.
– Mel Lawrenz
Come, sinners, heed the Savior’s call
Come to the feast, it’s free to all
Come hear His Word and truly live
He satisfies, great love he gives
Come seek the Lord, draw near today
Turn from your wicked thoughts and ways
His Word is strong and trustworthy
Great joy and peace one day we’ll see
– From a sermon on Isaiah 55
(To the tune of “The Doxology”)
Here are some good posts for pastors:
The Pastor’s Personal Holiness – Jason Helopoulos
Being an Iceberg Pastor – Andrew Haslam (Think)
Pastors, Prioritize Prayer – Don Carson (TGC)
Consider this special joy of the new earth: We will live forever in loving community with God and each other, with the peace of mind that comes from the absolute certainty that God will not allow us to mess this up.
– Michael Wittmer in Becoming Worldly Saints
Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live….
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me shall not hunger,
and whoever believes in me shall never thirst….
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”
And let the one who hears say, “Come.”
And let the one who is thirsty come;
let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
– Isaiah 55:1-3a, John 6:35, Revelation 22:17 (ESV)
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
6 Things Jesus Does With Sin – Jared Wilson
This is how Jesus forgives sin: He condemns it, carries it, cancels it, kills it, casts it, and clean forgets it.
This. Is. The. Day. – Michael Kelley
It will do me no good to wish for another day. A different day. The day that someone else is having. This is the day that I’ve been given. This day, full of the mundane and the ordinary, full of the opportunity unexpected. This one, the one that’s beginning right now, is the day.
Faithfully Delivering the Gospel – Erik Raymond
So what are you, the evangelist, the Christian, to do? Talk to people about Jesus. The power is neither in you nor the sinner, but in the gospel!
Keller’s 5 Ways the Gospel Transforms Your Work – Nicholas McDonald
The way a Christian works is radically different from those around him or her. The gospel ought to transform the way a Christian works from the inside out.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!
In past two posts we looked at the need to get focused and be strategic. Today we want to consider choosing missionaries. Of course your church probably already has missionaries, but as opportunities arise to choose new missionaries, here are some considerations.
First, research the missionary and missions group carefully before you invite them. If they aren’t a missionary your church should support or a missions group you can work with, don’t invite them. Consider doctrinal compatibility – do they agree with your statement of faith, and can you agree with theirs. Consider your ability to work together. We once had a missionary who wanted some of our young people to do a short term missions trip with them, but when we called the missions group they essentially wrote us off because we were an independent Bible church. So be sure to do your research before you invite a missionary to visit, and even more before you take on a missionary.
Second, consider supporting a national missionary in countries where there already is a growing church. They already know the language and culture. Plus their support is often considerably less. Whereas $100/month support is often only around 1% of the traditional missionary’s need, it is often around 25% of a national missionary’s need. One word of caution though – look for national missionaries that are accountable to some church or missions group. There are some phonies out there. A couple of good options I’d highly recommend include:
Finally, don’t forget traditional missionaries – especially those going to unreached people groups. The mission field is still vast, and we still need traditional missionaries. And of course one benefit for the church of having a traditional missionary over national missionaries is seeing them on furlough. And you can write to them without translation issues. But be sure to set a minimum monthly amount that makes it worthwhile for the missionary, maybe $50-100.
In the last post, I suggested the power of one or two, that is, focus on one or two missionaries. So perhaps your church might support one national missionary and one traditional missionary, and enjoy the best from both options. As before, I’d love your thoughts and suggestions – just leave a comment.
Brian J. Mikul 